MOVEMENT OF AUTONOMY SUPPORTERS IN VOIVODINA

Cause on Shaky Foundations

It will be very difficult to carry out the idea of uniting all
the political forces in Voivodina which are in favour of the
autonomy, and what meaning the Voivodina movement will have
once it is established remains to be seen

AIM Belgrade, 3 january, 1997

It was necessary for all the supporters of the
long-lasting conviction that Voivodina needs a movement in
favour of its autonomy to get together to make them become
aware that at this moment such a political business deal would
be mostly - futile. If the motive of those who initiated the
gathering under technical and organizational leadership of the
non-partisan Voivodina Club is exactly that - to gather all
political forces which in Voivodina insist on necessity of
(re-establishing) its right to decide about its own money,
development and right to establish relations in the
complicated community of several ethnic groups, religions and
cultures - and not just a weak attempt to encourage one's own
opinion about the extent, significance and possibility of the
mission with high sounding words.

When the list of possible members of the Movement for
Voivodina is summed up the result is not too impressive, and
it does not foretell that at this moment it could be the axis
around which all those who have a reputation as autonomy
lovers in Voivodina confirmed by deputy mandates would gather.
On the contrary. It seems that so far, only the following have
declared themselves in favour of establishment of the
movement: National Peasants' Party (NSS), Alliance of Citizens
of Subotica (SGS), and the All-National Democratic Front of
Voivodina (SDFV), but even that is not unconditional either.
It is also accepted by some minor non-partisan organizations.
For the sake of comparison, the proposal for changing the
constitutional position of Voivodina offered by Voivodina Club
in the beginning of 1997 was signed by eight (out of the
invited ten) parties and 13 (out of 19 non-partisan
organizations.

Riding Two Horses at Once

The explanation that the movement would be joined by
the National Peasants' Party, which will be frozen in favour
of the political organization Voivodina which would be better
known in spring - and the leader of both, Dragan Veselinov, as
he made it clear, "out of experience" had certain reservations
concerning coalitions - appears as a frivolous political
attempt of riding two horses at the same time, a little bit in
the movement, and a little bit outside it. Only the completely
ignorant may be fascinated by the words of Dragan Veselinov
that his Voivodina (founded in the village of Novi Karlovci in
Srem) is "very powerful, the most powerful in Voivodina" and
it is obvious that such descriptions are meant just to gather
votes. They are also intended to annoy former partners from
coalition Voivodina (League of Social Democrats of Voivodina
and Reform Democratic Party of Voivodina) which excommunicated
Veselinov - along with his NSS - because he had created the
phantom Voivodina and proclaimed secretary of NSS its new
president, attempting to present it as coalition Voivodina to
the Republican Electoral Commission, which was qualified as a
forgery.

The All-National Democratic Front of Voivodina is
headed by Zivan Berisavljevic, one of the prominent officials
of the former league of communists of Voivodina which
disappeared from the political scene after the so-called
anti-bureaucratic revolution in 1988 (which brought Milosevic
to power). The party has no influence, it has never
participated in the elections, and it communicates with the
public via occasional statements. The Alliance of the Citizens
of Subotica has a local significance and reach.

Hungarian parties reacted to the idea of creation of
the Voivodina movement in different, but mostly reserved
manner. Democratic Community of Voivodina Hungarians (DZVM) of
Sandor Pal did not attend the preparatory meeting, but it did
send remarks in writing about the founding papers, especially
the part which refers to the possibility of participation of
non-partisan personages on election lists of candidates. This
is in fact one of the things the Voivodina movement is
gathered around, because in circles around Voivodina club it
has been believed for quite some time that there are
respectable people who do not belong to any party and who
could get the votes of abstaining citizens of Voivodina. The
reason for abstention, according to this interpretation is
party exclusiveness and leadership. Political parties do not
accept this, reminding of the experience of Belgrade DEPOS
(Democratic Movement of Serbia).

Politeness without Commitment

The Civic Movement of Voivodina Hungarians politely
greeted the idea and wrote back that if other Hungarian
parties will have complaints, they too would think about them.
The most influential, Alliance of Voivodina Hungarians (of
Joszef Kasa) is trying on the other hand to see eye to eye
with other parties which gather Voivodina Hungarians (there
are six of them) and in direct talks with the president of the
federal state move from the standstill certain controversial
issues concerning ethnic rights of the Hungarian minority.

The Reformists (RDSV) are inclined to assess creation
of Voivodina movement as an idea presented in "great haste".
They took note of the invitation of the Voivodina club, but
they do not wish to join the movement, and the presence of the
president of the convention of this party at the negotiations
about foundation of the movement stirred unnecessary emotions
of the non-partisan Banat Forum - claiming that one of the two
rival coalitions Voivodina was given preference - and perhaps
this reaction sheds more light on some motives of foundation
of the Voivodina movement, that is, it puts the question
whether the essence is really the wish for an all-inclusive
gathering of the entire autonomy-loving political potential in
Voivodina or just rivalry. The League of the Social Democrats
of Voivodina (LSV) was not invited to the gathering, so Nenad
Canak could quite calmly declare that he did not know what it
was about. LSV is investing in this story its long-lasting
consistent commitment to autonomy of Voivodina - even at the
time when others had not even existed or when they were
undecisive - but also presence in parliaments on all levels.

If the preparatory gathering for the future founding
convention - held after (the first of the two Voivodina)
Christmas and before (the universal) New Year - served the
most ardent agitators of the idea of Voivodina autonomy
movement to reconsider the meaning of establishing it and
possibly realize that something either exists or does not
exist - it will after all have some result because the key
question seems to refer to consequences: can they justify all
the good intentions? They will have to answer a very practical
question - how to react to self-invitation of the national
monarchist National Party of Milan Paroski to join the
coalition, although it has never been inclined towards
autonomy like the others in this movement?

After they parted firmly willing to convene, despite
everything, the founding convention of their political
organization in the end of January or mid February, it is
necessary to wait and see whether they will find a less
ambitious name for their movement, more suitable for its
resources.